Your husband may just know duct tape, but he seems to know more than the handyman at work. The duct tape did not create a vacuum and it also did not cause "arcing". Unless the washer was leaking a lot of water onto the floor before the duct tape was applied, it should not have altered the operation to any great extent. If it was splashing badly, then all the water in the washer may not have time to pump out before the timer stops prior to the next phase.

: The washer in our new home was splashing a little water each time we did a load of laundry. I pulled out the installation documentation that the previous onwers left behind. The drain pipe that the washer is connected to is too small. The installation documentation specifies a 2" drain pipe. The drain pipe that the drainage hose is connected to is clearly labeled 1 1/2". I thought we should call a plumber. My husband decided duct tape would do.

: Since the duct tape was applied, the washer shuts itself off during the drain cycle. My husband mentioned this to the handy-man at work and was told that the duct tape created a vacuum and that this is causing arcing.

: So, I'm wondering what to do now. Do I need a plumber, an electrician, or both? (If I've had arcing, will we need some re-wiring done. )

: My husband thinks we should call an electrician first. I'm inclined to call the plumber first. Though I imagine we should call both. We are not do-it-yourself types (obvious by the use of duct tape!) and we can't afford an expensive fix. We had a rather heated debate about this today. Since my husband and know very little about these matters, I'm hoping that somebody who does can offer some advice.